Many applications require capturing an image of fast moving objects without distortion. Example applications are surveillance systems, traffic cameras, robotic visions, destruction testing, and scientific experiments. One problem in the imaging of fast moving objects is motion-blur, since the trace of moving objects is integrated in a frame. To get a sharp image without any motion-blur, high-speed imaging with a short integration time may be needed. Consequently, this may require high-speed readout at the cost of high bandwidth.
A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor may have an advantage in high-speed readout as compared with charge coupled devices (CCDs), because the readout operation of a CMOS image sensor is basically column-parallel. However, high frame-rate images with high spatial resolution may require large bandwidth and also large power consumption. This may limit the application of CMOS image sensors for portable devices or wireless sensor networks in which bandwidth and power consumptions are restricted. Reducing the spatial resolution can be one way to reduce the amount of image data in high-speed imaging, but although the distortion for moving objects can be eliminated, the details in the image may be lost.